So I lost it at Wal-Mart yesterday!

[Que]

Ok, since I feel like being a phallus....

The sign that says "20 items or less" MUST BE OBEYED!!!! according to some here....do you also consider this sign the same way?

This sign, just like the "20 items or less" is only a guideline. If you carry your gun into WM and they see it, they can ask you to leave. If you have 26 items in the "20 or less" line, they can ask you to move. If you refuse, they can then ask you to leave.

I will follow the "20 items or less" sign because I can possibly inconvenience others who are following the rules. I have chosen on occasion to ignore the "No Guns" signs because that inconveniences no one. However, if someone saw my gun, I would not hesitate to leave as I understand it's against their rules.

 

[ultraspec]

Everyone makes mistakes. You made a mistake. Not something that should have been a big deal.



I personally had a simliar situation in walmart in Hammond a few years ago when I was in line and a woman cut in front of me with a cart with about 40 items. I was in the 20 or under line and had 3 items.

I said something polite to her "excuse me but I was here first and you seem to have too many items", then she went off on me, I just said "fine, go ahead, no big deal" and she wouldnt let it go and by the time it was over, despite me remaining quiet after the initial response, she was calling for her bf on the cell phone or whoever was with her to come over and take care of me, when that didnt work she finished paying for her stuff and went to look for him/them in the store and said they would find me outside and teach me a lesson.


I was ARMED and chose to get to the parking lot while making damn sure I was paying attention to everyone and everything around and get out of there before she/he/them had a chance to escalate the situation any further.

Also Im a cop so I could have hooked her, and her friend if need be since I was also carrying cuffs, but how the hell would I explain getting into an argument(even though I was polite and did not start it) OFF duty to the responding officer(s). Or explaining the start of the whole situation if things went horribly bad and I wound up drawing or using my gun to defend myself against multiple attackers. Sometimes its best just to let things go. The way I look at it is you said you had a bad day, maybe the same could be said for the antagonist in my situation. At best I kept her/them from going to jail, at worst I saved myself from getting into a situation that could have gone very bad quickly.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Well OP, that's a 30% underestimation of the number of items you had. That's a pretty big error, but I know some people don't estimate all that well. I think you deserved to have your attention called to it. It's unfortunate that it turned into the confrontation it did.

 

[bobzilla]

This isn't about obeying signs. It's about common courtesy. My concealed handgun does not inconvenience anyone else, nor does it make anyone uncomfortable. Your "no guns" sign is like a sign saying "boxers only, no briefs." No one is affected if I ignore it.

People ARE inconvenienced when you load up your cart and go through the express lane, or leave your empty cart to block lanes or roll down the lot to put dents in other peoples' vehicles instead of putting the cart in the cart corral like a non-doosh.

If you think it's all about the sign, that's 90% of the problem right there.

This +1. I will make the wife go to another line if she has 21 items. It's the principle of the matter. I do my best to be respectful of other people and their time as well as my own. I will often let someone go ahead of me that has one item if I have more than that or I know mine will take longer (clearance, coupons, etc.).

No, it's not a law that if you have more than 20 items you should get arrested/kicked out/whatever. It's the common code for living in society. We try to be polite and courteous to others. What is bad is that we have to remind others when they are not being courteous or respectful.

 

[IndianaSigma]

Anyone that would call someone out for having 26 items in a 20 item lane is rude. Had he minded his own business....nothing would have happened.

He decided at some point that he was going to start crap with you......and you reacted as most of us would have if we were in pain.

He was the instigator. You should have reacted better, but wouldn't have had to react at all had he just waited his turn in line or chose a different line.

 

[$mooth]

This +1. I will make the wife go to another line if she has 21 items. It's the principle of the matter. I do my best to be respectful of other people and their time as well as my own. I will often let someone go ahead of me that has one item if I have more than that or I know mine will take longer (clearance, coupons, etc.).

This. or If the lines are long, I've been known to put back a few items to get in compliance with the 20 item limit.

 

[Double T]

I uScan at walmart. I like to bag my own groceries. No smashed bread. No broken eggs. No beef and chicken in the same bag. We typically have more than 20 items, but we also don't have a sign for the uScans.

I always count and move approriately...much to my wife's dismay.

 

[RockofStrength]

So I was sitting behind this guy in Wal-Mart

Wow, can't believe I found this thread. I was third in line behind this dude with like 30 items in his cart and some other guy, when they started getting into some kinda shouting match over a few extra items the first guy had. Here I am trying to get my prescriptions for my sick wife and a few bags of uncooked white rice to fix my phone that went over the side with all my guns in that tragic boating accident last year, and these two idiots are sitting there yelling and cussing up a storm and wasting my time. Once the first guy left, I gave the guy who had been arguing with him some props so that I wouldn't have to hear him give me a blow-by-blow of the whole thing.

Some people, ya know? It's why I hate Wal-Mart. It's uphill both ways in the rain, too. Freakin' pain to get up there.

 

[bobzilla]

Anyone that would call someone out for having 26 items in a 20 item lane is rude. Had he minded his own business....nothing would have happened.

He decided at some point that he was going to start crap with you......and you reacted as most of us would have if we were in pain.

He was the instigator. You should have reacted better, but wouldn't have had to react at all had he just waited his turn in line or chose a different line.

Anyone that would knowingly enter a 20 or less lane with other people and have 2 items is rude. Had he just gone to a different lane .......nothing would have happened.

They decided at some point to ignore common courtesy and impose their entitled self onto others and the guy behind you reacted as most of us would have if we were in pain.

The over 20 person was the instigator. The guy behind could have reacted better, but wouldn't have had to act at all if the dude with too many items had waited in the appropriate line like a normal person.

It works both ways.

 

[jsharmon7]

I've never met pinshooter, but he seems like a good guy as far as what I've seen on this forum. With that said, he and the other guy share the blame equally. I understand the other guy's frustration and why he made the comment, but he should have let it go after that. To keep going on and on and cussing at another guy in a Walmart checkout line was pretty classless and unnecessary. As for pinshooter, it is rude to go through the express lines with excessive items. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but common courtesy is going the way of the dodo these days and the frustration becomes cumulative. If you've got more than a handful of items, leave that lane open for the people it was designed for and get in the regular lane like everybody else. I know you probably didn't think of it like this when you decided to get in that line, but you're essentially telling everyone else that you're too good to wait in line like them. I'm sure there were people standing in the other longer lines with worse problems than arthritis. I'm not trying to belittle your pain, but you don't get special treatment because of it. People just need to remember to be respectful of others, it's becoming so rare these days that somebody has to do it. As for the gun comment, others have hit on the head by asking that you reevaluate why you carry. It's for self protection only, not for intimidation or some macho idea of "bet he won't say something now!"

 

[printcraft]

Wow, can't believe I found this thread. I was third in line behind this dude with like 30 items in his cart and some other guy, when they started getting into some kinda shouting match over a few extra items the first guy had. Here I am trying to get my prescriptions for my sick wife and a few bags of uncooked white rice to fix my phone that went over the side with all my guns in that tragic boating accident last year, and these two idiots are sitting there yelling and cussing up a storm and wasting my time. Once the first guy left, I gave the guy who had been arguing with him some props so that I wouldn't have to hear him give me a blow-by-blow of the whole thing.

Some people, ya know? It's why I hate Wal-Mart. It's uphill both ways in the rain, too. Freakin' pain to get up there.

I sorry I had you so flustered...... you forgot to pick up your speedgoat chow because of us didn't you?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I just wish that the stores would have grammatically correct signage "20 items or fewer" and not "20 items or less".

 

[wallotcorydon]

If your WalMart is anything like the one in Corydon, the whole situation could have been avoided by the store had they opened up the rest of the registers and lines. They have over 20 checkout lines, and usually, at best, have 5 open.

It is aggrevating when you have 1 or 2 items and someone goes through the speedy 20 or less line with a cart full. I refuse to use the self checkout because I am not getting paid to work there, nor do I get a discount for performing their job for them.

Can't say though, that I would not have done the same thing you did. In fact, I know I have done it. Open more regular lines, and I will use them, but I am not going to stand in line longer to checkout, than to find what I was in there for.

 

[iChokePeople]

I sorry I had you so flustered...... you forgot to pick up your speedgoat chow because of us didn't you?

I don't think it was the argument so much as the assless chaps you were wearing. I only had 3 items, but went to one of the LONG lines just to avoid that.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I don't think it was the argument so much as the assless chaps you were wearing. I only had 3 items, but went to one of the LONG lines just to avoid that.

HEY! He had a THONG!

 

[printcraft]

I don't think it was the argument so much as the assless chaps you were wearing. I only had 3 items, but went to one of the LONG lines just to avoid that.

Don't knock them..... I've have over 20 items before and did not
want to go in the 20 or less line.....
One look from the cashier and she said..... "Come on over, I'll take care of you."

HEY! He had a THONG!

You caught me on a good day while I had both on, usually it either one or the other.

This +1. I will make the wife go to another line if she has 21 items. It's the principle of the matter. I do my best to be respectful of other people and their time as well as my own. I will often let someone go ahead of me that has one item if I have more than that or I know mine will take longer (clearance, coupons, etc.).

No, it's not a law that if you have more than 20 items you should get arrested/kicked out/whatever. It's the common code for living in society. We try to be polite and courteous to others. What is bad is that we have to remind others when they are not being courteous or respectful.

Yep, those lines are not for me if I have a cart full.
Same reasoning I use if I'm going to a convenience store for 1 thing and
I'll be in there for 30 seconds I absolutely will NOT park in a handicap space.

 

[eldirector]

Wow. All of your WalMarts suck! Our only complaint is that they are perpetually out of baby food. Sure, its busy, but "whatever". The cashiers are friendly, there are usually enough registers open, and even the patrons are civil enough. I can even get in the ammo case in less than 5 minutes - without hunting down someone!

 

[jsharmon7]

Same reasoning I use if I'm going to a convenience store for 1 thing and
I'll be in there for 30 seconds I absolutely will NOT park in a handicap space.

I had a guy in a truck riding my bumper through the parking lot of a Kroger the other day. When I pulled in to a spot he zoomed up to the Fire Lane and parked his truck. After I got in there I saw him wandering around with his little basket like everybody else. I just don't understand why people think that's okay. There are no consequences anymore though...

 

[ultraspec]

I just wish that the stores would have grammatically correct signage "20 items or fewer" and not "20 items or less".

Must be an English teacher?

Hell if all you are worried about when going to walmart is the signage then you are doing far better than the rest of us. Im usually focused on avoiding getting robbed, and getting in and out as quick as possible.

 

[iChokePeople]

I'm not saying the OP did this, but OFTEN, when you follow "that guy" out of the store, the one who brought 17 items to the "10 items" line, he's parked in the fire lane right outside the door.